Athletics News

A look back at Ohio State's athletics and a look ahead as we move toward the holiday

Dec. 17, 2013

Athlete of the Week

Ohio State men's basketball senior guard Aaron Craft became the Buckeyes' all-time assists leader with 581 assists for his career after collecting four against Bryant and seven against North Dakota State last week. This season, the Findlay, Ohio, native became the first Buckeye in history to record 500 assists, 200 steals and 1,000 career-points (Nov. 16 vs. Marquette) and became just the third player in Big Ten history to accumulate more than 500 career assists and 250 career steals (Nov. 12 vs. Ohio).

The game Wednesday was the first meeting between Ohio State and Bryant. Ohio State is 10-0 all-time vs. members of the Northeast Conference. OSU defeated conference member Central Connecticut State 74-56 Saturday.

The Ohio State women's basketball team snapped a three-game losing skid with a 59-56 win over visiting Army Friday night at Value City Arena.

Ameryst Alston led the Buckeyes in scoring for the third straight game with 18 points while hitting 8 of 9 from the stripe. Ferguson recorded her first career double-double with 13 points and a career-high 11 rebounds while Martina Ellerbe chipped in with 10 points and seven rebounds.

The Buckeyes trailed 50-40 with 6:49 left in the game and appeared headed for their fourth straight defeat. But an Ellerbe jumper sparked a 9-0 Buckeye run to cut the lead to one with 3:42 left.

Ohio State's defense turned up the intensity down the stretch and didn't allow a field goal over the last 2 minutes of the game. Ohio State ended the game on a 10-1 run, hitting its last nine free throw attempts.

Ohio State fell at Cincinnati Sunday, 64-49, at Fifth Third Arena in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio.

DiJulius, ranked sixth, pulled the Buckeyes to within two with his 3-2 victory over No. 15 Jimmy Gulibon. Riding time proved to be the difference as DiJulius rallied from a 2-1 deficit and scored an escape at the top of the third period and accrued more than a minute of riding time.

Securing the Buckeyes' second win of the afternoon, Heflin, polled No. 5, was a 3-1 winner over Wes Phipps. After a scoreless first period, Heflin increased his 1-0 lead to a 3-1 advantage following a third-period takedown.

Ohio State will wrap up the first half of the 2013-14 season at 7 p.m. Thursday when it faces Kent State in Kent, Ohio. The Buckeyes will open the 2014 portion of their schedule at Wisconsin Jan. 10. The first home match of 2014 in St. John Arena is against Nebraska at 7 p.m. Jan. 24.